Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) Raised to “Overweight” at Morgan Stanley

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) was upgraded by analysts at Morgan Stanley from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research report issued on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has a $200.00 price objective on the restaurant operator’s stock, up from their prior price objective of $160.00. Morgan Stanley’s price target points to a potential upside of 24.45% from the stock’s current price.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Brinker International from $140.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. UBS Group raised Brinker International from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $144.00 to $175.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Wall Street Zen raised Brinker International from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 28th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Brinker International from $125.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Mizuho raised their price target on shares of Brinker International from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $179.74.

Brinker International Trading Up 0.6%

Brinker International stock opened at $160.70 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a current ratio of 0.35. The firm has a market cap of $7.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 1.34. Brinker International has a 1 year low of $100.30 and a 1 year high of $192.21. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $146.76 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $144.47.

Brinker International (NYSE:EAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The restaurant operator reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.76 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $1.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.32 billion. Brinker International had a return on equity of 164.66% and a net margin of 7.94%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.95 EPS. Brinker International has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.900-10.50 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Brinker International will post 8.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brinker International

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Portside Wealth Group LLC bought a new position in Brinker International during the fourth quarter valued at about $548,000. Balboa Wealth Partners acquired a new position in shares of Brinker International during the 4th quarter valued at about $205,000. Aberdeen Group plc raised its stake in shares of Brinker International by 8.7% in the 4th quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 136,564 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $19,600,000 after acquiring an additional 10,891 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in Brinker International by 7.6% in the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 80,606 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $12,213,000 after purchasing an additional 5,665 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new stake in Brinker International during the fourth quarter worth approximately $148,000.

More Brinker International News

Here are the key news stories impacting Brinker International this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Raymond James upgraded EAT to “outperform” and repositioned ratings across restaurant peers, calling out Brinker positively; the move increases buy‑side visibility and set a higher target on EAT. EAT raised, CAKE and DRI downgraded as Raymond James adjusts restaurant ratings
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen initiated coverage with a Buy and a ~$192 price target, adding another institutional vote of confidence for EAT’s growth trajectory. TD Cowen initiates coverage of Brinker International (EAT) with buy recommendation
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley upgraded EAT to “overweight” and raised its price target (to $200), and other analysts (UBS, TD Cowen notes on TipRanks) are maintaining/raising buy views — a cluster of upgrades tends to drive demand and multiple expansion. Analyst coverage/upgrade reporting (Benzinga)
• Positive Sentiment: Research pieces from Zacks and others highlight EAT’s growth and momentum characteristics (solid same‑store sales recovery, younger consumer appeal, improving margins) that support longer‑term upside. 3 Reasons Why Growth Investors Shouldn’t Overlook Brinker International (EAT)
• Neutral Sentiment: Company fundamentals/guide: Brinker recently posted an earnings beat and set FY‑2026 EPS guidance (roughly $9.90–$10.50), which underpins many analyst upgrades but leaves execution and comp trends as the next proof points. (Company filings/quarterly release)
• Negative Sentiment: Balance‑sheet & liquidity metrics are a watch item: elevated debt‑to‑equity (~1.53) and low current/quick ratios could amplify downside in a downturn, so leverage and free‑cash‑flow execution are key risks for investors.

Brinker International Company Profile

Brinker International, Inc (NYSE: EAT) is a leading global operator of casual dining restaurants. The company’s portfolio is anchored by its flagship Chili’s® Grill & Bar concept and Maggiano’s® Little Italy full‐service restaurants, offering a range of American‐style menu items, handcrafted cocktails and family‐friendly dining experiences. Through dine‐in, takeout, delivery and catering services, Brinker seeks to meet consumer preferences across multiple channels.

The Chili’s brand features signature items such as baby back ribs, burgers and fajitas alongside a rotating selection of limited‐time offerings and seasonal beverages.